The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-15
WHO KILLED CONAUGHTON?
More of the Evidence Supporting the
NAargn Against Cnnsta HE Reinhold.
Elmer McGuire's Emphatic Declaration on the
Witness Stand That the Fatal Shot Was
Fired by Merchant Policeman Isaacs.

When the preliminary examination OF Con-
stable Reinhold, charged with the murder Ct
Thomas Conaughton was resumed at 10 O'clock
yesterday morning the court room would not &c
commodats all who tried to gain admittance.
Reinhold was brought in little late, and looked
weary from having spent two nights behind the
bars. There were several ladies present The
witness that attracted the most attention was
Ida Fisher. the young lady over whom Conaugh-
ton and Eaton had the quarrel that eliminated
in Conaughton's murder She was engaged to
marry Conaughton, and is taking unusual inter-
est in having the guilty person, whoever he may
be, apprehended and brought to justice.
James r. Shea was recalled to the stand. He
testified that Conaughton wss about four feet
from him when he tried to 60 through the coal
shed. He was only three or four feet northwest
of the shed when the third and fourth shots
were fred. A person standing in the yard
could have had full view of Conaughton as he
ran. The lady who was near him when the
shots were fired was three or four steps further
north, on the avenue
Louis p Grady, the detective who worked up
the case. was the next witness. He said that he
had personally known Reinhod since October
last He related the circumstances of the find
ing Of the revolver bearing the initials 81 E.
R." in the vault at the Flesher residence
on last Tuesday. At the time patrolman Henry
and young Wilson were present
He and Henry looked at the weapon, but Will
son discovered the initials When found the re-
volver was covered with filth and ice. 1t had
two empty chambers and four were loaded. He
In r. n
revolver out.
Miss Ida Flesher was the next witness. Her
testimony related simply to her having heard
the shots Her mother, Mrs. Sarah Flesher tes-
tilted that Reinhold came to her house. an hour
after the shooting occurred, and wanted to know
if she had heard the shots. She told him she
did. He said he did the shooting the south
side of the house, but did not fire the
the north side. She heard two shots on the
south side of the house. and it sounded to her
like there were four on the north side The
shots reflected on the organ through the win
dow. close were they to the corner Of the
house. The shots sounded to her Ike they were
fred in the yard. Reinhold had been at her
house several times since the shooting.
John Cain testified that he saw Renhold have
two revolvers in Peter Liebers saloon in last No
vember. He could not identify the weapon
found as one of them.
Sergeant Travis was called to the stand to ex-
anime the revolver found and the bullet taken
from Conaughtons body. The revolver, he ex-
were no marks upon 1t. by which be could iden-
tify lite size. Trying the ball taken from Co
| aughtons body. he said THE ball fits the re-
volver very nicely"
Edward Ducas, gunsmith Of fifteen years ex-
| perience, after making an examination of the re-
volyer and ball, said This ball taken from
| the body OF the dead man is a 38-caliber. There
| are various sizes of 3S's. The Conaughton bull
| let could not have been fired out of this gum"
William Vajen was also called as an expert.
He pronounced the ball one of 38 caliber; and
was afterward allowed to prove its size by refer
ence to a book defining all sizes. A long SO, he
said. would be about three eiehths of an inch
| longer than the short 49, Answering question.
| he said, THE ball found in Conaughton's body
fta the revolver very WE'LL"
| George r. Hopkins testified that he knew
+ 18th Of this month. He was In Grady's Office
| when the anonymous letter telling where the re-
volver could be found was received.
| The State here rested, with the understand
| ing that some witnesses not present could be
| allowed to testify when they came. The first
| witness for the defense was Edward Ducas
He had sold to Reinhold the revolver that was
| taken from him at the station house. after the
| shooting.
The dying statement Of Conaughton. taken BY
the coroner, was introduced and read. 1t was
| very brief, and simply stated that he did not
| know who killed him, but did not think it was
| the constable.
| j. W. Beck, the gunsmith, was called a. an
expert. He testified that the bullet taken from
| Conaughton was made for a 44-caliber long
center fire revolver. The revolver found was a
! British bulldog. In his opinion the bullet taken
| from Conaughton could not have been fred from
| that weapon.
John W. Gilbert. vault cleaner, testified that
about the time the murder was committed he
cleaned several vaults and found them I'M
frozen.
Sergeant Travis was called for the defense,
and said that on the Sunday following the MUIR
der James Shea met him aud told him that a
| tall man fired two shots from the avenue.
Elmer Mcclure, night Waterman for the Gin
cinnat Hamilton & Indianapolis railroad, re-
peated his version of the affair almost word for
word as he gave 1t In the Isaacs trial. He told
of how he followed the man Conaughton pointed
effect. He said: HE was fifty feet ahead of
me when / started after him. I called to him to
stop. He halted and turned his right side to me
until l came up to him. l said: Who shot
Conaughtoni His answer was: He has gone
up New Jersey street When this conversation
light. AS the man answered me he looked me
squarely in the face. The light of the lamp
shone full in his face for / was next to the
lamp-post, and that man was Merchant Police
man Aft Isaace" The last words of his decara
ton were uttered with some emotion, and came
near sticking in his throat His positive declar
alton was regarded by the defense as c gool
point, and there was slight applause when he hat
| finished.
Patrolman Nelson was called and told sub
stantially the same story he did in the Isaacs ex
animation. The court then adjourned until th
morning. There are quite number of wit
nesses for the defense. Prosecutor Hamricl
will offer rebuttal evidence. 1t is expected tina
the investigation will be finished to-day.
AMUSEMENT NOTES.